Author
Perno, Savannah LeighIssue Date
2019Advisor
Blankinship, Joseph
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The University of Arizona.Rights
Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.Abstract
We examined four microbial amendments, two natural biocrusts and two commercial inoculants, to see how they impact soil stability and microbial community development in an arid climate. We found that the regional biocrusts were successful in increasing soil aggregation and photosynthetic bacterial populations, while the other treatments did not significantly change the degraded soil conditions. These findings can be built upon in future research to understand the most efficient way to scale-up microbial-based dust mitigation strategies, such as large scale application of biocrust-forming microbes.Type
textElectronic Thesis
Degree Name
B.S.Degree Program
Honors CollegeEnvironmental Science